► Hyundai sets two records at Pikes Peak
► 12.42-miles and 156 corners
► Fastest time of 09:30.852, set by Dani Sordo
Hyundai has set a new record at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. The brand has actually set two records in total; one in the ‘electric modified’ category and the other in the ‘Production SUV/Crossover’ category. As you’d expect, Hyundai’s motorsport division brought over three Ioniq 5 Ns in total to do it; one vanilla production car and two Ioniq 5 N TA (Time Attack) cars.
One TA spec, driven by Hyundai WRC Dani Sordo, completed the 12.42-mile, 156 corner course in just 09:30.852, winning the exhibition class. The other, driven by Randy Pobst, finished the hill climb in 09:55.551.
‘We are absolutely thrilled to set a new record at Pikes Peak and our performance overall,’ said Till Wartenberg, vice president and head of Hyundai’s N brand and motorsport division. ‘Going forward, we plan to continue leveraging exciting motorsports activities such as Pikes Peak to showcase the superior performance of our mass-produced vehicles and continue to develop technology that not only meets customer needs but exceeds their expectations.’
What’s the TA all about?
Impressively for Hyundai and disappointingly for motorsport fans, the Ioniq 5 N TA isn’t all that different from the production car. For Hyundai, that’s the whole point – it’s supposed to highlight just how performant the standard N road car is.
This most obvious difference is outside: the TA gets an extreme body kit befitting of a Pikes Peak Hill Climb car. Why so big and so much? Two reasons; the Pikes Peak is all about total downforce rather than drag – it’s all corners really – and the downforce reduces as the air gets thinner with increased altitude. Therefore, Hyundai needs to fit that barn door rear wing and huge splitter. It’s no Suzuki Escudo, but it still looks great.
Still, there have been some interesting and more subtle changes under the surface: a software patch allows for higher maximum motor output, while the shock absorbers and brakes have both been swapped out for high performance parts. Finally, the TA runs on slicks for maximum grip and the best chance of exploiting its improved torque.